Country Specific Footnotes

A VISA IS TO BE ISSUED WITH THE VALIDITY OF THE APPLICANT'S ASSIGNMENT AS INDICATED IN THE OFFICIAL NOTE OF REQUEST, BUT IT IS NOT TO EXCEED 60 MONTHS [48 MONTHS IN THE CASE OF A C-3 VISA)

Visa Category Footnotes

The validity of A-3, G-5, and NATO 7 visas may not exceed the
validity of the visa issued to the person who is employing the
applicant. The "employer" would have one of the
following visa classifications:

A-1

A-2

G-1 through G-4

NATO 1 through NATO 6

An E-1 and E-2 visa may be issued only to a principal alien who
is a national of a country having a treaty, or its equivalent,
with the United States. E-1 and E-2 visas may not be issued to a
principal alien if he/she is a stateless resident. The spouse and
children of an E-1 or E-2 principal alien are accorded derivative
E-1 or E-2 status following the reciprocity schedule, including
any reciprocity fees, of the principle alien’s country of
nationality.

Example: John Doe is a national of the
country of Z that has an E-1/E-2 treaty with the U.S. His wife and
child are nationals of the country of Y which has no treaty with
the U.S. The wife and child would, therefore, be entitled to
derivative status and receive the same reciprocity as Mr. Doe, the
principal visa holder.

The validity of H-1 through H-3, O-1 and O-2, P-1 through P-3,
and Q visas may not exceed the period of validity of the approved
petition or the number of months shown, whichever is less.

Derivative H-4, L-2, O-3, and P-4 visas, issued to accompanying
or following-to-join spouses and children, may not exceed the
validity of the visa issued to the principal alien.

There is no reciprocity fee for the issuance of a J visa if the
alien is a United States Government grantee or a participant in an
exchange program sponsored by the United States Government.

Also, there is no reciprocity fee for visa issuance to an
accompanying or following-to-join spouse or child (J-2) of an
exchange visitor grantee or participant.

In addition, an
applicant is eligible for an exemption from the MRV fee if he or
she is participating in a State Department, USAID, or other
federally funded educational and cultural exchange program
(program serial numbers G-1, G-2, G-3 and G-7).

However,
all other applicants with U.S. Government sponsorships, including
other J-visa applicants, are subject to the MRV processing
fee.

Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canadian
and Mexican nationals coming to engage in certain types of
professional employment in the United States may be admitted in a
special nonimmigrant category known as the "trade NAFTA"
or "TN" category. Their dependents (spouse and children)
accompanying or following to join them may be admitted in the
"trade dependent" or "TD" category whether or
not they possess Canadian or Mexican nationality. Except as noted
below, the number of entries, fees and validity for non-Canadian
or non-Mexican family members of a TN status holder seeking TD
visas should be based on the reciprocity schedule of the TN
principal alien.

Canadian Nationals

Since Canadian
nationals generally are exempt from visa requirement, a Canadian
"TN' or "TD" alien does not require a visa to enter
the United States. However, the non-Canadian national dependent of
a Canadian "TN", unless otherwise exempt from the visa
requirement, must obtain a "TD" visa before attempting
to enter the United States. The standard reciprocity fee and
validity period for all non-Canadian "TD"s is no fee,
issued for multiple entries for a period of 36 months, or for the
duration of the principal alien's visa and/or authorized period of
stay, whichever is less. See 'NOTE' under Canadian reciprocity
schedule regarding applicants of Iranian, Iraqi or Libyan
nationality.

Mexican Nationals

Mexican nationals are
not visa-exempt. Therefore, all Mexican "TN"s and both
Mexican and non-Mexican national "TD"s accompanying or
following to join them who are not otherwise exempt from the visa
requirement (e.g., the Canadian spouse of a Mexican national
"TN") must obtain nonimmigrant visas.

Applicants
of Iranian, Iraqi or Libyan nationality, who have a permanent
resident or refugee status in Canada/Mexico, may not be accorded
Canadian/Mexican reciprocity, even when applying in Canada/Mexico.
The reciprocity fee and period for "TD" applicants from
Libya is $10.00 for one entry over a period of 3 months. The
Iranian and Iraqi "TD" is no fee with one entry over a
period of 3 months.

Q-2 (principal) and Q-3 (dependent) visa categories are in
existence as a result of the 'Irish Peace Process Cultural and
Training Program Act of 1998'. However, because the Department
anticipates that virtually all applicants for this special program
will be either Irish or U.K. nationals, the Q-2 and Q-3 categories
have been placed only in the reciprocity schedules for those two
countries. Q-2 and Q-3 visas are available only at the Embassy in
Dublin and the Consulate General in Belfast.

No S visa may be issued without first obtaining the Department's
authorization.

V-2 and V-3 status is limited to persons who have not yet
attained their 21st birthday. Accordingly, the period of validity
of a V-2 or V-3 visa must be limited to expire on or before the
applicant's twenty-first birthday.

Posts may not issue a T-1 visa. A T-1 applicant must be
physically present in the United States, American Samoa, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands or a U.S. port of
entry, where he/she will apply for an adjustment of status to that
of a T-1. The following dependents of a T-1 visa holder, however,
may be issued a T visa at a U.S. consular office abroad:

T-2 (spouse)

T-3 (child)

T-4 (parent)

The validity of NATO-5 visas may not exceed the period of
validity of the employment contract or 12 months, whichever is
less.

The validity of CW-1 and CW-2 visas shall not exceed the maximum
initial period of admission allowed by DHS (12 months) or the
duration of the transition period ending December 31, 2014,
whichever is shortest.

The validity of E-2C visas shall not exceed the maximum initial
period of admission allowed by DHS (24 months) or the duration of
the transition period ending December 31, 2014, whichever is
shortest.

General Documents

Please check back for update

Birth, Death, Burial Certificates

Birth and Death Certificates

Available. Birth (Izvod iz Maticne Knjige Rodjenih) and death certificates, (Izvod iz Maticne Knjige Umrlih) are consolidated into a national database and are available from the civil registrars throughout Montenegro. The church documents are entitled Izvod Iz Knjiga Za Upisivanje Rodjenih I Krstenih (Birth certificate) and Smrtni List (death certificate). Many records, particularly in Montenegro, were destroyed during the Second World War and reconstructed afterwards.

Same-sex marriages are not recognized in Montenegro.

Marriage, Divorce Certificates

Marriage Certificates

Marriage certificates (Izvod iz Maticne Vencanih) are currently only available at the civil registry where the event occurred. The fact that a marriage took place by proxy is not usually evident from the marriage certificate. Prior to May l0, 1946, these records were maintained by church authorities. Since that date, only civil marriages have been legal. The church document is entitled Vencani List (Marriage certificate). Many records, particularly in Montenegro, were destroyed during the Second World War and reconstructed afterwards.

Same-sex marriages are not recognized in Montenegro.

Divorce Certificate

Available. Copies of divorce judgments are available from the district court (okruzni sud) which decided the case. A divorce certificate is typewritten and headed "In the Name of the People" (U ime naroda). Since May l0, l976, only divorces obtained through the civil courts have been legal. Prior to this date, divorces granted by church authorities were also recognized.

Adoption Certificates

Please check back for update

Identity Card

Available. All residents of Montenegro who have reached their eighteenth birthday must carry an identity card (Licna Karta) issued by the Secretariat for Internal Affairs (Sekretarijat za Unutrasnje Poslove). It contains the photograph, date and place of birth, and address of the bearer.

Note : Non-residents must apply for these documents through a Montenegro diplomatic mission. They are unlikely to receive a reply if they write directly to the issuing office. Montenegro consular offices throughout the world are supplied with the appropriate forms for obtaining civil documents. The request will be forwarded to the Montenegro Ministry of Foreign Affairs for transmission to the office responsible for the issuance of the required document. The document will then be returned to the applicant via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Montenegro Diplomatic Mission overseas.

The above procedure can be lengthy. All applicants are encouraged to obtain the required documents through a family member, friend or lawyer residing in Montenegro, who could apply personally at the office which issues them.

Police, Court, Prison Records

Police Record

The Montenegrin Ministry of Justice became the entity responsible for issuing police certificates on 31 March 2014. These documents contain criminal records of persons convicted of criminal offenses committed in Montenegro, as well as persons convicted of criminal offenses by foreign courts.

Criminal records will be provided on the basis of a submitted written request. Requests for releasing the information can be downloaded here. A second party, such as the Embassy, may not request police certificates on individuals to independently verify someone's background.

The Ministry of Justice is located at Vuka Karadžica 3, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro and can be contacted via e-mail at rke@mpa.gov.me

Note that in many cases, convictions can be expunged after ten years. Thus, the record may not be complete beyond ten years, but it is the best and only record available. This certificate should not be confused with the certificates issued by courts (Sudsko uverenje) that cover only the period of the past six months and indicate the absence of any investigation, charge or conviction in that period.

Non-citizens who once resided in Montenegro, and are now in their native country, may apply for police certificates with their local Ministry of Foreign Affairs which will then, through diplomatic channels, contact the Embassy of Montenegro in that country.

Non-citizens who once resided in Montenegro, and are in a third country now, may apply with their Embassy in that country, who will then, through diplomatic channels, contact the Embassy of Montenegro.

Military Records

Unavailable.

Passports & Other Travel Documents

Passports: Information on Travel Documents

The Government of Montenegro issues passports to citizens of Montenegro. The Montenegrin passport is medium red with gold lettering and a crest on the front. "Montenegro" and "passport" are printed in Latin letters in Montenegrin and English, and "passport" is also in French. The passport meets modern security standards, including a plasticized biodata page that has an electronic chip inside. The nationality code for this passport is MTG. Valid visas in expired Yugoslav passports can be used together with current Serbian or Montenegrin passports with the same biodata for travel to the United States.

The blue Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Yugoslav) passports were invalidated by the Government of Serbia on December 31, 2011. All Montenegrin Citizens must now travel on the current Montenegrin passport. The Yugoslav passport was issued to both Serbian and Montenegrin citizens even after the two countries separated and there is no way to differentiate between Serbian and Montenegrin citizens based on this passport. The Yugoslav passport is dark blue with gold lettering on the front that says "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" in Serbian Cyrillic and "passport" in Cyrillic and Latin letters and again in French. The information page contains data on a small hologram seal in the lower left corner. The passport pages are multicolored brown with a geometric design. The nationality code for this passport is SRM.

Other Records

Statement of Unmarried Status

The civil registrar having jurisdiction over a person's residence will issue a certificate (uverenje) stating that the applicant is not married.

Note : Non-residents must apply for these documents through a Montenegro diplomatic mission. They are unlikely to receive a reply if they write directly to the issuing office. Montenegro consular offices throughout the world are supplied with the appropriate forms for obtaining civil documents. The request will be forwarded to the Montenegro Ministry of Foreign Affairs for transmission to the office responsible for the issuance of the required document. The document will then be returned to the applicant via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Montenegro Diplomatic Mission overseas.

The above procedure can be lengthy. All applicants are encouraged to obtain the required documents through a family member, friend or lawyer residing in Montenegro, who could apply personally at the office which issues them.

Visa Issuing Posts

Since January 2012, U.S. Embassy Podgorica offers full nonimmigrant visa processing services for Montenegrin applicants. U.S. Embassy Belgrade still processes immigrant visas for Montenegrin applicants.

Visa Services

Please check back for update

Although care has been taken to ensure the accuracy, completeness
and reliability of the information provided, please contact the U.S.
Embassy or Consulate where you plan to apply if you believe this
information is in error or if you have further questions.

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